Grapple



Dec. 26, F, N OSMUN 51- AL 2,184,681

I GRAPPLE Filed Oct. 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 26, 1939.. QSMUN HAL2,184,681

GRAPBLE Filed Oct. 26, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 26, 1939UNITED srar GRAPPLE Tex.

Application October 26, 1937, Serial No. 171,088

11 Claims.

This invention relates to a grapple.

An object of the invention is to provide a grapple of the characterdescribed that may be con structed for use either as a spear-typegrapple or an overshot grapple, and which is readily engageable with andreleasable from a pipe stuck in a well bore.

It is another object of the invention to provide a pipe pulling deviceof the character described embodying a mandrel having a spiralled faceand a grappling member thereon of a general cylindrical shape and havinga spiralled face arranged to cooperate with the spiralled face of themandrel, said cooperating faces being tapered with novel means forvarying the diameter of the grappling member whereby it may be releasedthe spear into said pipe.

from the engaged pipe in case the latter cannot be dislodged and removedfrom the well.

Another object of the invention is to provide interengaging stops on themandrel and grappling member respectively whereby they will be preventedfrom becoming screwed too tightly together upon a reverse, or left handrotation of the mandrel.

With the above and other objects in view the invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, operation andarrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specificationand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side view, partly in section, of the spear-type ofgrapple showing the grappling member contracted to releasingposition.

Figure 2 shows a side view, partly in section, showing the spear-type ofgrapple in engaged position with relation to the pipe to be pulled.

Figure 3 shows a side elevation thereof, showing the grappling member inexpanded position.

Figure 4 shows a vertical, sectional view of an overshot type of grappleshowing the grappling member in releasedposition, and

Figure 5 shows a vertical, sectional view of the overshot type, showingthe grappling member in engagement with the pipe to be pulled.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals ofreference designate the same parts in each of the figures, the numeral ldesignates the mandrel as awhole. The lower end of this mandrel isreduced forming the external annular shoulder 2 and is externallyenlarged above said shoulder 2 to form the annular external shoulder 3adapted to engage the upper end of the stuck pipe 4 upon entrance ofScrewed onto the lower end of the mandrel is the guide nut 5 and alsoscrewed onto the mandrel there is the releasing nut 6 whose upper endhas the downwardly and inwardly converging face i. The releasing nutabuts the upper end ofthe guide nut.

Between the shoulder 2 and the releasing nut 6 the mandrel is providedwith the external, spiralled, downwardly flared face 8. As shown thisface is spiralled to the left. The upper margin of the spiralled face 8terminates in an undercut groove 9 which is also spiralled to the leftasshown.

The mandrel and guide nut having a central fluid passageway ll)therethrough through which washing fluid may be forced, if desired, fromthe operating stem ii to which the grapple is attached. On thes mandrelthere is a sleeve-like grappling member l2. This grappling member hasthe slots it cut therein from opposite ends and arranged in staggeredrelation, as shown, so that the grappling member will be contractilethroughout. The slots leading from one end of the grappling memberterminate near the opposite end thereof as shown.

The grappling member l2 has the inside, spiralled, downwardly flaredface M which conforms to the taper of, and rides against, thecorresponding face 8, of the mandrel. The spiralled face It terminatesat its upper margin in the spiralled rib l5 conforming in shape to, andadapted to enter, the groove'Q when the grappling member is contracted.

- The lower end of the grappling member l2 has the downwardly andinwardly tapered face l6 adapted to ride against the face 1 to contractthe lower end of the grapple.

In use the mandrel may be turned to the left relative to the grapplingmember to run said grappling member up on the mandrel to the positionshown in Figure 3. The mandrel has a stop I! depending beneath theshoulder 2 and the grappling member has a corresponding stop l8extending upwardly therefrom and arranged to engage the stop H, as shownin Figure 3, to prevent the upper end of the grappling member frombecoming screwed up too tightly against the shoulder 2 to prevent itsready release therefrom. The spear may be now run into the well and willbe guided by the guide 5 into the upper end of the pipe 4 to be pulled.With the grappling member in expanded position its outer toothed surfacewill frictionally engage the pipe t but will readily enter the same.Upon an upward pull on the operating string I l the spiralled taperedface 8 of the mandrel will ride up against the inside tapering face [4of the grappling memp ber and will expand said grappling member intosecure engagement with the pipe to be pulled. A further upward pullexerted through the operating string may result in the withdrawal of thestuck pipe. If it does not the mandrel may be turned to the right andthus caused to move upwardly relative to the grappling member carryingthe flared face i into contact with the tapering face It of thegrappling member thus contracting the lower end of the grappling memberas shown in Figure 1 and at the same time the rib l5 will seat in theunder cut groove 9 of the grappling member thus causing a contraction ofthe grappling member from end to end. While so. contracted the grapplingmember'will frictionally engage the inner surface of the pipe 4 butlightly and a continued rotation of the mandrel while being pulledupwardly will cause the release of the tool from the pipe.

If it be desired to re-engage the tool with the pipe it may be loweredinto the pipe and turned to the left, the friction of the grapplingmember with the pipe holding saidv grappling member stationary, untilthe mandrel is run down again to the position shown in Figure 3whereupon an upward pull will cause the grappling member to againsecurely engage the pipe to be pulled. I

An overshot type of grapple is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 whereinthe mandrel is designated by the numeral I3 and is attached to the lowerend of the operating string l i. It is tubular in general contour andhas the inside annular shoulder 20 to contact the upper end of the pipe4 to be pulled upon lowering of the grappling tool thereover. Themandrel E53 has the spiralled, upwardly flared, inside face 2%.

This face 2| is spiralled to the left and at its upper margin terminatesin a correspondingly spiralled, under cut groove 22. Screwed into thelower end of the mandrel l9 there is the guide nut 23 and abutting theupper end of the guide nut and screwed into the mandrel there is therelease nut 24 whose upper end has the inwardly and upwardly convergingface 25. There is a grappling member 25 which is cylindrical in generalcontour but whose outer: side has the upwardly diverging spiralled face27 pitched to conform to the pitch of, and to seat .upon the face 2!.The face fl is spiralled in a direction corresponding to the spiral ofthe face 25 and at its lower margin there is a correspond inglyspiralled rib 28 adapted to fit into the groove 22, when the grapplingmember is in released position, to maintain it released, shown in Figure4. The grappling member 26 has the staggered slots 29 extending fromopposite ends thereof, each slot extending from one end of saidgrappling member approximately to the other end thereof so that saidgrappling member will be expansible. The lower end of the grapplingmember 25 has the inside, downwardly flared face 30 arranged to engagethe face 25 for a purpos to be stated.

In use the overshot type of grapple may be lowered into a well and overthe upper end of the pipe as shown in Figure 5. The inner side of thegrappling tool 26 is provided with the horizontal, upwardly pitched,inside teeth to en age the pipe. The grappling member 26, even when inexpanded position, will frictionally engage the outside of the pipe tobe pulled. When overshot is lowered over the upper end of the pipe itmay be turned to the left so as to release the grappling member 26, thatis, so as to permit the grappling member to move upwardly into theposition shown in Figure 5 if it is not already in that position. Anupward pull may then be exerted through the operating string i l.Thereupon the grappling member 26 will be contracted by the wedging ofthe spiralled face 2| against the spiralled face 21 causing the saidgrappling member to securely grip the pipe. If the pipe cannot bedislodged the grappling tool may be released therefrom by turning to theright. Upon such turning to the right the lower end of the grapplingmember 26 will be engaged over the upper end of the releasing nut 24,the co-action of the faces 25, 30 causing an expansion of the lower endof said grappling member and at the same time the rib 28 will be engagedclosely within the spiralled groove 22 which will cause an expansion ofthe grappling member as shown in Figure 4 and a continued rotation tothe right and upward pull will release the overshot from the pipe.

Depending from the shoulder 20 there is a stop 3| and extending upwardlyfrom the grappling member 25 there is a stop 32. Said stops are providedfor the same purpose as the corresponding stops I! and I8 shown inFigures 1 to 3.

The drawings and description disclose what are now considered to bepreferred forms of the invention by way of illustration only, while thebroad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. A pipe grapple comprising a mandrel having a helical, tapering face,a sleeve-like expansible grappling member thereon of a generalcylindrical contour and substantially longer than its transversediameter and having a helical tapering face arranged to fit the face onthe mandrel.

2. A releasable pipe grapple comprising a mandrel having a helical,tapering face, a tubular grappling member on the mandrel having ahelical tapering face shaped to conform to the shape of, and tocooperate with, the face on the mandrel, additional means on thegrappling member and mandrel effective to cooperate to vary thetransverse diameter of the grappling member upon relative rotation ofsaid parts in one direction.

3. A pipe grapple comprising a mandrel having a helical, tapering face,a tubular grappling member associated with the mandrel and having ahelical tapering face shaped to conform to the shape of, and tocooperate with, the face on the mandrel, means on the grappling memberand mandrel effective to cooperate, upon relative movement of said partsin one direction, to vary the transverse diameter of the grapplingmember and interlocking means on the mandrel and grapple for limitingthe relative movement of said parts in the other direction.

4. A releasable pipe grapple comprising a mandrel having a helical,tapering face, a tubular grappling member associated with the mandreland having a helical, tapering face shaped to conform to the shape of,and to ceoperatewil-h, the face on the mandrel, said grapplingbeing'slitted from opposite ends to render it expansible, means on thegrappling member and mandrel effective to cooperate, upon relativemovement of said parts in one direction to contract the transversediameter of the grappling member.

5. A pipe grapple comprising a mandrel having a helical, tapering face,a tubular grappling member associated with the mandrel and having ahelical, tapering face shaped to conform'to the shape of, and tocooperate with, the face on the mandrel, said grappling member beingslitted from opposite ends to render it expansible throughout itslength, means on the grappling member and mandrel effective tocooperate,

upon relative movement of said parts in one direction to contract thetransverse diameter of the grappling member, and means for limiting therelative movement of said parts in the other direction.

6. A pipe grapple comprising a mandrel shaped to telescope with a pipestuck in a well bore and having a helical face which tapers at an angleto the axis of the mandrel, a tubular grappling member on the mandrelhaving a helical, tapering face shaped to conform to the shape of, andto cooperate with, the face on the mandrel, said grappling member beingcapable of contraction and expansion to vary its transverse diameter,

means on the mandrel and grappling member effective to cooperate, uponrelative movement of said parts, to vary the transverse diameter of thegrappling member.

'7. A pipe grapple comprising a mandrel shaped to telescope with a pipestuck in a well bore and having a helical face which tapers at an angleto the axis of the mandrel, a tubular grappling member on the mandrelhaving a helical, tapering face shaped to conform to the shape of, andto cooperate with, the face on the mandrel, said grappling member beingcapable of contraction and expansion throughout its length to vary itstransverse diameter, additional means on the mandrel and grapplingmember effective to cooperate, upon relative movement of said parts inone direction, to vary the transverse diameter of the grappling member,and means for limiting the relative movement of said parts in the otherdirection.

8. A pipe grapple comprising a mandrel shaped to telescope with a pipestuck in a well bore and having a helical, tapering face and an annulartapering face, a grappling member thereon of a general cylindricalcontour capable of contraction and expansion and having a helical,

tapering face shaped to fit the tapering face of the mandrel and havingan annular tapering face, said mandrel and grappling member beingrelatively movable to bring said annular faces,

into cooperation to vary the transverse diameter of the correspondingend of the grappling member and means carried by the mandrel andgrappling member, effective, upon such movement to correspondingly varythe transverse diameter of the other end of the grappling memberthroughout its length.

9. A'pipe grapple comprising a mandrel shaped J each other upon relativerotation, means on the mandrel and grappling member including annular,co-acting faces, effective to vary the diameter of the grappling memberthroughout its length upon relative movement of said parts in onedirection and stops on the mandrel and grappling member to limit theirrelative rotation in the other direction.

I 10. A pipe grapple comprising a mandrel shaped to telescope with apipe stuck in a well bore and having a helical, tapering face with anundercut helical groove adjacent one margin of said face, said mandrelalso having an annular tapering face, a grappling member on the mandrel,sleeve-like in form and capable of contraction and expansion and havinga helical tapering face shaped to fit the tapering face of the mandreland which terminates in a marginal helical rib shaped to fit into saidgroove, said grappling member having an annular tapering face, saidmandrel and grappling member being relatively movable to bring saidannular faces into cooperation to vary the transverse diameter of thecorresponding end of the grappling member, said rib being positioned tofit in said groove upon such movement to correspondingly vary thetransverse diameter of the grappling member throughout its length. I

11. A pipe grapple comprising a mandrel shaped to telescope with a pipestuck in a well bore and having a helical, tapering face and also havingan annular, tapering face, a grappling member on the mandrel,sleeve-like in form and capable of contraction and expansion and havinga helical tapering face shaped to fit the tapering face of the mandrel,saidgrappling member having an annular, tapering face, said mandrel andgrappling member being relatively movable to bring said annular facesinto cooperation to vary the transverse diameter of the correspondingend of the grappling member, said mandrel and gripping member havinghelical interengaging parts, effective, upon such move- -ment tocorrespondingly vary the transverse diameter of the grappling memberthroughout its length.

FRED N. OSMUN. FRANK KINZBACH.

